Huntsville gazette., 1887-03-26
BEECHER on THE NEGRO.
His Estimate OF the Races
Progress.

The L .Ddon Christian World of
Oct. 81, 1886, published an account
Of the meeting Of the Ere edman's
Missions Aid Society held in West
minister Chapel, at which Mr.. Beech
or ma .e support Of q resolution
approving the training of young
colored men to carry the Gospel to
their own race in Africa.
After speaking of the old days of
slavery IN America and of the fslsi-
6cation of all the evil prophecies OF
the upholiers OF slavery, Mr. Beech
or went on to p iut out the peculiar
fitness Of the African miad to receive
religion; their belief in the invisible
their emotion, their prayerfullness !;
their filth; their graciousness and
gentleness; subnis sivsness, p ltiencs
and faithfulnese. "Have the col
ored people, the Africans" said Mr
Beecher. justified the trust that was
put in them for their Industry and
for their enterprise and for the nc
emulation # pr'ptrtyY Yes
they have. Of course, in such q
horde there would be great per-
cent, fiddler G, and of men who
would waste their opp rtuuities.
Let any nation that i. .ithout a
whole mass of lazy men that live on
sucking the pr, .,erity out of others
cast tito first stone at them. Ap-
plause. Tney a"e earning the
land. They are in possession Of
taxable p: o5erIy ow to the extent
Of m ,re than $3.50. 100000 III the
Southern Statee. they are gaining
all the tims--more raridiy in some
parts than in Others--but on the
whole aiming in thrift, in economy,
in wise living BY and by. though
not exactly st This point, | must tell
you my experience when was sent
by the Government at The raising of
flag st Fort Sumter, to view ths Sea
Islands, where the Sea Island cot
ton is m ,inly rai :eh, add to make
report rs to the operation OF
ema cipation up.n those islands.
Going to the Helena saw piles of
boxes aud goods and all manner OF
thugs on the aiding, and | said to
the superintendent !: DO the slaves
bny as much as used to
DO bought for them by their
masters % "a great deal
more "Well what things do they
buy % Buy a? Looking glass IS and
candles" Laughter Looking
g,asseP of conrsr,t, ascertain whether
there were any elem ents Of beauty
in their faces. Laughter. Cans
dies, however ! said /. "What do
they waEt with with candies I" In
the old slave times slave was lever
allowt d to have a lig ed candle in
his cabin after darl; nothing unless
it was fire, was allowed, and the
candles became in their eyes a sig
nal OF liberty, and the moment they
were free they said: Give us light"
[Applause.] There may b. moral
ap, lication Of this much more i'm
portant tht n / have time now to de-
velop. Tie moment that freedom
CON es men want light.
Well, the qrestie then GENES up
again. Are they making any prog
ress in knowledge? They are out.
running even their white n,ishbors.
Not only that, they are showing
themselves to be apt; they are civ
ilizable. they srt not mtrelp cepi-
BILE of Christrian religion, but they
aae susce dtible also of inte lectual
culture. There have arisen among
them mea that in the divine art of
preaching stand second to none any
where, white or black. They are
showing thems lives comp etsnt as
instructors. From one association,
the American Mission ary Associa
ton, they are sending out every
year 900 men and women, educated
in our schools that have been built
for them, to become teachers, law
yers, doctors and preachers among